By: Ava Marzolf
March 19th, 2025
Photo Credit: BBC Sport
Days before the trade deadline for the 2024-25 NBA season, a blockbuster trade stunned the basketball world. Just before midnight on Saturday, February 1st, the Dallas Mavericks traded their young franchise centerpiece, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for veteran star center Anthony Davis. This was arguably the most shocking trade in NBA history, as fans, players, team staff, and even NBA insiders were left in disbelief. This striking deal has several complex layers to it that basketball fans are still trying to make sense of, wondering about the long-term impact it will leave on both teams and the landscape of the league's Western Conference.
Trades of this significance typically have at least some level of speculation in the media beforehand, but Doncic and Davis were just as blindsided by the trade as NBA fans and the media were, having no prior knowledge of or input into the decision being made. All negotiations were quietly coordinated between Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, leaving even the coaches of each team unaware of the pending trade.
The Doncic-Davis trade was actually a three-way deal between the Mavericks, the Lakers, and the Utah Jazz, who played a third party role to help facilitate the trade. Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris from the Mavericks were sent to the Lakers alongside Doncic, while Max Christie joined Anthony Davis in Dallas. The Mavericks also received a 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers. The Jazz acquired Jalen Hood-Schifino from the Lakers and two second-round picks to make the incoming and outgoing salaries in Los Angeles match up better.
The unexpected nature of this trade can also be attributed to its timing, having taken place amid discussions between Doncic and the Mavericks about a super-max contract extension that would’ve paid Luka $345 million over five years, making him the highest paid player in NBA history. After his move to LA, he’s no longer eligible for this lucrative offer but will continue to earn money from his current five-year $215 million contract with Dallas. According to CNBC, the best deal the Lakers were able to offer Luka is a 4-year, $229 million contract that would pay him over $10 million less per year than he would’ve earned from a super-max extension in Dallas.
So why did the Mavericks trade Doncic, a generational talent that led his team to the NBA finals last season and one of the superstars of the league? Harrison was completely transparent regarding his defense-oriented motives for initiating the trade to acquire Davis. “I believe that defense wins championships,” he asserted. "I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future." (ESPN)
While Luka Doncic is best known for his elite offensive production, defensive abilities are his primary weakness, giving reason to believe that Harrison’s statement was made in light of this reality. The addition of Anthony Davis to the Mavericks will satisfy his desire for a stronger defensive performance that he implies has been the missing piece for Dallas amid their championship aspirations.
Criticism of Doncic’s physical condition and habits off the court were another part of the Mavs rationale for trading the face of their franchise for the past seven years. Due to various injuries, Luka’s first half of the 2024-25 season in Dallas involved an extensive number of missed games. Concerns over his stamina and diet have been highlighted by the team as a potential for injury risks that would have continued to make him a liability for the team’s goals moving forward.
Since Luka’s arrival in Los Angeles, the team has posted a 12-4 record (as of the date of this article's publishing), moving to 4th place in the Western Conference for an overall 40-23 record with promising hopes for postseason success. For Dallas, however, the aftermath of the trade is off to a disastrous start. In Davis’s debut with the team he suffered a strained adductor during the third quarter and is unlikely to make a return this season. To make matters worse for Dallas, star point guard Kyrie Irving’s season recently came to an end on March 3rd when he tore his left ACL during a loss to the Sacramento Kings.
The Mavs currently stand at 10th in the Western Conference with a 6-11 record following the trade. Harrison’s decision to trade Doncic already provoked harsh criticism from fans, mostly in the form of protests and chanting, as soon as news of the trade first broke to the public. Making matters worse, the unfortunate timing of these injuries have left Dallas without their leading scorer (Irving) and best defender (Davis), fueling even greater backlash from Mavericks fans.
CBS Sports has discussed how the Irving-Davis duo Harrison envisioned as the key to success for Dallas in the short-term has backfired, as the two only played one game together this season before their respective injuries. A consequence of this is greater uncertainty surrounding Irving and Davis’ long-term status with the team and their ability to make valuable contributions as veterans becoming increasingly injury-prone. Their absence for the remainder of this season has triggered prolonged setbacks for the team as the Mavs stray further away from a playoff berth, reinforcing widespread criticisms that the trade was a big mistake for Dallas.
Just over a month has passed since the rampant uproar over the Doncic-Davis trade. The dynamics of the trade are still generating buzz in the basketball community as the two superstars have experienced very different transitions acclimating to their new situations. However, the spotlight is shining bright on Luka and LeBron as the playoff race heats up. With a 40-year old LeBron continuing to put up impressive stats alongside a 26-year old Luka entering the prime of his career, the powerful duo of legendary offensive playmakers has been dominating, elevating the Lakers to a legitimate NBA Finals contender.